Early last year Djevelmakt hammered its way out of hell and into many folks' eager eardrums, demonstrating a certain fortitude and a staying power that has withstood the test of time not as a grand testament to jaw-dropping originality, but as a killer album with obvious intentions. No matter the number of spins, the sound simply refuses to wear thin. Revisitation is easy and always reaps melodic rewards as Kampfar's latest effort never falls, never fails and never falters. Consistency is key.

The black metal influence is strong and makes this the darkest, most evil-sounding extreme folk album I have heard from 2014. The vocals are grim and harsh, the guitars utilizing the usual tremolo patterns reminiscent of flames forcing their way through from hell. The more atmospheric moments with subtle choirs and the like are particularly nice. I like it, and I like this album, but the lack of much new happening keeps it from rising the ranks in a meaningful way. Still, it is one of the better releases from the genre this past year and definitely worth a listen. I may even come back to this one again, which is more than I can say for a lot of the 2014 contenders. Enjoyability=8, Musicianship=7, Innovation=5.